Washington's International Spy Museum settled a federal civil rights investigation by agreeing to make its exhibits more accessible to hearing- and vision-impaired customers.
The U.S. Justice Department said the settlement calls for the museum to add regularly scheduled tours that describe exhibits, special maps for the blind and captions for audio and interactive displays. Department and museum officials said the agreement, which carries no monetary penalty, may spur higher levels of access for the disabled at cultural institutions across the U.S.
"From day one, we have tried to be a welcoming museum to all of the public," said Peter Earnest, the spy museum's executive director, at a press conference in Washington. "There were things we were not aware of."
The museum worked for three years with the Justice Department's civil rights division to resolve the matter, which will bring it into compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. A visually impaired tourist's complaint to the agency prompted the investigation, officials said, adding that the museum fully cooperated.
Since it opened in 2002, more than 4 million people have visited the museum, which is located a few blocks from the National Mall. The privately owned institution focuses on espionage throughout history, displaying what it says is the largest collection of spy-related artifacts anywhere.
About 16 million Americans have sensory disabilities, Justice Department officials said.
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